RO, RO, RO YOUR BOAT
by mabb5
Summary: An Interlude after "Pre-Emptive Strike". Guinan questions Riker about the events concerning Ro's defection to the Maquis as she helps the commander and his captain cope with its aftermath.
1. Chapter 1: The Real McCoy

_**A.N.: An interlude after "Pre-Emptive Strike". **_

_Hey, I'm just surprised that no one else has ever used this title, at least to my knowledge. I just thought that there were some things left unresolved between Laren and Will. Not to mention with Jean-Luc Picard. This story isn't part of any of my other alternate universes. (See THE BEST LAID PLANS, THE SKY'S THE LIMIT or ATTACHED MEANT.) And unlike all of my other stories, this one is actually close to being canon. And, believe it or not, it is actually a new story that was never published in a fanzine. Though I've had the plot line in my head for years..._

_All the usual disclaimers apply. I just like to play in the ST playground. Though I wouldn't mind living here..._

_And please be kind and feed the author with a review or a comment. Your reviews are what keep all of us writers going and creating new material. So be kind and review all the stories that your read. At least, every now and then._

_**Ro, Ro, Ro Your Boat…**_

"I didn't order this." The first officer of the _Enterprise 1701-D _shook his head and blindly shoved the glass away, not even bothering to look at it.

"Yes, Commander - you did," the barkeep replied. She thrust the low-ball tumbler back in his direction, across the white backlit surface of the square, glass topped table located next to a star portal in Ten-Forward.

"Guinan!" Will Riker was bothered by her action. But his disturbance began to blossom into annoyance when instead of leaving and taking the unwanted glass with her, she sat down across from him, folded her arms and stared at him with dark eyes seemingly untroubled by thoughts of loyalty, duty or command. He was about to shove the glass back toward her again when some inner sense of self-preservation caused him to hesitate. Instead, he glanced down at the amber brown liquid and began to wonder why she had served him this instead of his usual favorite synthale.

"What is it?"

Instead of answering his question, she asked one of her own. "I heard that Dr. Crusher has taken you off active duty for the next forty-eight hours. You're supposed to be recuperating from you mission and your reconstructive surgery from Bajoran to human." Her glance took in everything about him from the weariness on his face to the distress of his troubled heart. "Correct?"

"What? Yes." he answered, instinctively rubbing the bridge to his newly-restored nose. He did not bother to hide his displeasure at being subjected to Dr. Crusher's overcautious nature or being exposed to Guinan's invasive nosiness.

"Then, you ordered that drink," she firmly announced, silently daring him to again deny her declaration.

This time he picked the glass up, brought it close to his nose and sniffed it. It smelled like a liquid that rarely was ever consumed on board the 1701-D, though a hundred years ago it was a more common drink administered on board another starship named _Enterprise._

"Guinan, is this what I think it is?"

"The captain drinks the green stuff. But, being from Alaska, I thought that you'd prefer the good, old-fashioned brown stuff instead."

The first officer took a cautious sip and for the first time since his return, a slow familiar smile appeared.

"Canadien whiskey," he sighed in appreciation as the silky fire slid down his throat, soothing some of the ragged edges to his soul.

"The real McCoy," Guinan added as she bent forward, rummaging about her bombazine outfit as if she were searching for something.

"What?"

She pulled out from under the front flap of her mocha over-tunic a large tote bag. And then she removed a big glass bottle - a very, very old glass bottle full of whiskey. It was accompanied by another glass. She filled it. And then she placed the bottle bearing a 'Canadien Club Black' label, between them.

His eyes widened in appreciation. He'd only heard about this legendary libation. He'd never tasted it until now. "The real McCoy?"

She nodded.

"As in Admiral McCoy?"

"I know that he was prodigiously fond of this particular hootch now and then." She looked off into the stars for a moment. "I once knew another McCoy. He was a bootlegger in the 1920s in America. Used to smuggle real French champagne - probably Picard - and Canadien whiskey into New York on board his yacht. Those were the days…," she sighed.

Riker took another sip. And sighed with pleasure. "Good stuff, indeed. Well aged."

"It certainly is. My old friend used to get the stuff that was aged twenty years in oak barrels." She drank her whiskey with respect for its pedigree.

For a while they sat drinking in companionable silence until Riker finally noticed that he was the sole customer in the now darkened Ten-Forward. The table light was one of the few sources of illumination left in the entire area.

"I'm keeping you up, Guinan. Everyone else has left. I hadn't realized that it was quite so late." He stood as if to leave. She shoved the bottle toward him.

"You're not going anywhere, Will Riker. Finish your glass then fill it up again. You need it." She arched a hairless eyebrow. "Fill mine up again while you're at it."

"If I drink what you've already poured, I'll be needing a hangover cure in a few hours."

She slapped a hypospray down onto the café table.

"No problem."

"You're a _doctor_ as well as a barkeep? You're allowed to administer such cures?" His tone of voice was colored with more than a dollop of sarcasm.

"Actually,_ I am a doctor_. But that is another story and another life time ago." She snorted. "And don't tell me that you don't have a hangover hypospray or two stashed in your quarters. Every Starfleet captain I've ever called 'friend' has had one." She reached over and placed her now-empty glass directly in front of Will. "Care to fill 'er up, Commander?"

Recognizing that she was challenging him some more, he sat back down, filled her glass, and then finished off his own drink before pouring more liquid into it.

"Why me?" he quietly asked as he studied the chocolate brown lady in her matching chocolate brown dress and chapeau. For Guinan, it was one of the most sedate, conservative outfits he'd ever seen her wear.

"You had a rough assignment. You need it."

Riker shook his head in denial. His automatic smile turning dour at this statement. "No, Guinan. I _like_ it." He raised his glass, swirling the neat liquid about. "I don't _need_ it. But, maybe Captain Picard could use a drink."

Guinan's benign expression didn't change, but something in her look hardened. "Captain Picard is beyond whiskey tonight, Will."

Somehow, he knew that this statement was true. The embittered man that he'd left alone in his ready room tonight, was a far cry from the self-possessed, composed Captain Picard with whom he usually dealt. "You're his friend, Guinan. Is there nothing that you can do for the captain?"

"I offer captains my assistance when I can, Will. But, Jean-Luc doesn't want any help right now. And I can wait until he does. But, right now, you do."

"I'm not a captain."

She snorted again. "As if you don't know in your gut that one day soon you will be, Will Riker."

He drank some more before he finally stated, "Not too soon, I hope."

"Might be in Starfleet's best interest if it were soon, Will."

"_Starfleet's best interest _- that is the only thing that really matters, isn't it?" There was a bitterness to his words that was unusual for the man. "What about Justice? Friendship? Loyalty? Doing what is really right instead of what the politicians and the bureaucrats ordain is right?"

Guinan drank a while, mulling over his words before she asked, "A lot of your Academy classmates have resigned Starfleet and joined the Maquis, haven't they?"

"A few."

"And it bothered you to support the Cardassians against the Maquis, didn't it?"

He bristled at her implication. "I followed Captain Picard's orders to the letter."

"In practice, maybe. But obviously not in spirit. You disagreed with Jean-Luc."

"I sometimes do, Guinan. If I didn't, I wouldn't be a good XO. And I like to think that I am a good first officer to the man. I know my duty and I do it."

"I never said otherwise."

He slammed his tumbler down onto the table top. "Then exactly what are you saying, Madam Guinan?"

She reached for the bottle and filler her glass up as well as his again before she responded. "Jean-Luc Picard is my friend."

"And I am Captain Picard's first officer."

"And his friend?" Her question sounded innocent. Her tone of voice was not.

"Of course!" he snapped back. The alcohol was beginning to lubricate his tongue.

"Then, tell me really what happened…"

"What?" He couldn't believe what she was asking of him. "Not for a moment do I believe that you can't get your hands on my official report. So, you already know what happened."

"Tell me what _really_ happened, Will. The truth."

"What?" He couldn't believe what she was daring to ask of him.

"Ro Laren is my friend too…"


	2. Chapter 2: Itchy

_**CHAPTER 2:**_ Itchy

"He's my cousin!" she protested one more time, trailing after her Maquis co-pilot, dodging around the piles of supplies in the corridor to the room she'd used.

"I wish I had a _cousin_ like yours!" Kalita stopped then turned and grinned back at her new friend. Then she led Ro through a narrow dark passageway into the lower floor of the Maquis compound. "We're short on space - you know that, Ro. Your cousin either sleeps with you or he could sleep on the floor in the food storage area at the end of this corridor. Not much privacy or personal comfort there. However, there are some very friendly vermin, though."

Ro nervously glanced down the corridor, wondering how far behind her was her _cousin. _She turned and touched Kalita's arm. "Please, find him another place to sleep besides my room," Ro pleaded, trying not to let her desperation color her voice.

Suddenly, Ro felt strong arms grasp her about the waist, lifting her up, pulling her tightly against his very broad, very big chest. She tried very hard not to struggle though she was sorely tempted to blow her cover if only to gain the momentary satisfaction of giving Riker his due.

Kalita eyed the big man, admiring the ease with which he held his Ro Laren. She definitely was not observing anything about this man that she did not fancy. Laren's _cousin_ most definitely was the kind of man that she would enjoy claiming as her _cousin_ for a night in a shuttlecraft built for two. "Your cousin looks like the kind of man who appreciates his privacy. And personal comfort." She thought for a moment as if she were actually trying to consider other alternatives. "Of course, he could sleep on the floor in my room."

Riker's laughter boomed around the small, canister filled corridor. "Thanks for the offer, Kalita. And if I were a man free from encumbrances - _and cousins _- I would be sorely tempted to accept your generous offer…," his grin broadened, "…of bedspace." Will had noticed the woman's doubts about his actual relationship with Ro Laren. But he had plenty of experience in dealing with this kind of problem. He inspected the Maquis lady from head to toe, not as a rebel, but as a woman. And then he gave her his best, toe-curling smile.

Ro's temper got the better of her. She started struggling, trying to land a hard-booted kick against Riker's leather clad shin. In response, his hands slid up higher, grasping her tightly about the breasts, squeezing them not out of desire, but as if he were trying to physically remind her about something. Yet, she struggled some more.

Riker continued. "But, as you can see, my cousin wouldn't like it. And I'd rather face a troop of Cardassian glins all by myself, bare-fisted in battle, than face Laren alone when she's throwing one of her jealous snits.

"You oaf!" Ro cursed. "You conceited, Tarkassian blow hard!"

Riker ignored her cursing. "In case you hadn't noticed, my cousin has a temper." And with that observation, he spun Ro around, kissed her hard and then released her. It took him only a second to realize his tactical mistake as he felt the edge of her boot. "Right, Laren?" he asked before grabbing her about the belt again. This time he pulled her against his left hip, holding her tightly. She could kick him, but he could retaliate.

Fortunately, Kalita found their little contretemps to be hilarious. She had not suspected that Ro Laren had such an easily ignited temper.

"And Starfleet tried to make an officer out of you?" Kalita gasped, between laughs.

It took Riker a second to grasp Kalita's meaning. He joined in with her laughter, rather enjoying himself at Ro's expense. "They certainly did try, but several officers told me that it was an impossible task."

Kalita suddenly stiffened, her laughter fading. "You knew Starfleet officers?"

Riker only continued grinning, deliberately ignoring Kalita's suspicious attitude. "I have never cared for the Starfleet female officer 'type' myself. That have too many inhibiting rules to follow. They are too rigid. Too cold." He pretended to shudder. "But when Laren was on leave, I sometimes found it profitable to buy a receptive female officer a friendly drink or two. You'd be amazed at what some ensigns would tell me in hopes of sharing their shore leave with me." His grin broadened. "And if I personally couldn't use the information in my trading ventures, then I always found some friendly Yridian or Ferengi who might be willing to shed a little latinum for the knowledge."

Kalita relaxed. She could easily believe the tale that this space pilot/trader cousin of a Bajoran told. She teased, "Are you sure he's your cousin, Laren?"

"Yes. Of course he is!" Laren quickly argued even as she recognized that she was over-reacting to Kalita's words. Again.

Riker tried to smooth over any questions that Ro's behavior might be causing. "Jealous chippie, isn't she?" Riker offered, still smiling, even as he mentally prepared the riot act that he was going to read to Ro Laren as soon as they got out of this place alive. If they got out of this Maquis encampment alive. "I think that the humans have a phrase that best describes my relationship with Laren, Kalita."

Kalita's coquettish smile returned as she decided that even though Ro might currently be the lady in his arms, he certainly was flirting like he was not Laren's exclusive property. "And what would that be, Kel Raykar?" Kalita teased.

"_Kissin' cousins_."

Kalita laughed some more. "Sleep well, Kel Raykar and Ro Laren. See you at first meal. And Raykar - if you find your resting place to be too full of disappointments or cold shoulders, well, I wouldn't mind acquiring a new 'kissing cousin' myself."

He ignored the continuing pain in his shins as he watched Kalita sashay down the corridor, away from their quarters. He was satisfied that the lady's suspicions had been alleviated for now. Just in case she turned around, or if anyone else was watching, he nuzzled Ro's neck, biting her ear rather sharply before tersely whispering, "Behave!"

Deciding that she should obey her commanding officer, Ro turned in Will's arms as his grip began to loosen. She twined her fingers through his hair as if she savored the silkiness of it. Her lips moved closer to his.

"Laren? What the…?"

His words were cut off as she kissed him, giving him the kind of kiss he hadn't experienced since the last time he'd lost his memory in her arms. For a second he resisted, but then his body instinctually recalled the pleasures of what it had been like being kissed by his former 'wife' during the nights of the Sartaaran induced amnesia. And Will Riker would always be a man who appreciated a warm, willing woman in his arms.

Quite a few minutes passed before he also remembered that he was an officer as well as a gentleman. "Inside, Laren," he hoarsely ordered, hoping that if anyone was eavesdropping, his words would sound more like a lover's command rather than the anger filled words of a commanding officer.

Once he'd shut the door, Riker ignored the Bajoran. Separating himself from Ro's arms, he deliberately paced the spartan room to end up opposite from Ro. He automatically noted the narrow raised pallet, the few boxes that substituted for furniture, a heating unit, a water cubicle and some scattered clothing. Then he took a deep breath and faced his subordinate, intent upon behaving as if he were only her superior officer.

As if she knew what she was about to brave, she stayed by the door, clutching the handle as though she was seriously considering escape to be an option. Though the light was dim, she had a pretty good idea as to what the expression was on Riker's face at the moment. "The walls are thin," she warned as he took a small step toward her away from the shadows.

He reached over and turned up one of the lights. "Thin enough so that passers by will hear your screams of… passion?"

"I doubt I'll be screaming in passion any time soon."

"You're underestimating me again, Laren."

"Am I?"

"Wanna bet? I could make you moan any time I want to, Laren. I never forgot how to touch you…" His grin was not kind. "If anything, I've refined my technique."

She wanted to hit him but she had a feeling that was what he was trying to goad her into doing. "That was a long time ago, Ray…" Her tongue fumbled over his name as she realized how easily she could slip up and doom them both. "Besides, our neighbors need their rest. We wouldn't want to keep them up all night."

He moved closer. "I remember how you used to want to keep me up all night…"

For a second, it seemed as if his eyes glowed. She could feel the warmth radiating from him warming her conflicted soul. He moved a step closer. "I remember too," she whispered, as she recalled passion filled nights that seemed to have happened so long ago. But now, in these enforced close quarters, it was as if it were only a night time ago.

He pulled her into his arms. "So, can we safely whisper?" he softly asked as he held her close.

She nodded as if she were agreeing to anything that he might ask.

"Good." He stepped back away from her, his attitude changing. Whatever inner fire that might have been kindled was now suddenly doused by his personal strength of will. "Lock the door."

Indignation again fueled her heart as she obeyed. She watched in disbelief as he grabbed her pillow and stole the lone blanket off of the pallet. He spread them out on the cold, geometric patterned, grey stone floor.

"Come to bed," he suggestively requested, even as he sat down on the stone.

And she understood the part that he'd been playing. Her anger turned against herself as she realized that for a brief moment, she had allowed herself to be fooled by the believability of his performance. "You're very good." She seductively spoke in her most inviting tones, deciding that she would play his game. She picked up her purple jacket and threw it on to her pallet to use as a cover, before she sat down and kicked off her half boots.

"I hope that you'll still say that about me come the morning. It's been a long time, Laren…," he rather loudly stated.

"I will if you rub your nose in all of my favorite places," she sighed, turning it into a series of moans. "Oh, Ray… You do remember what I like best," she countered, even as she reclined onto her side, casting her suddenly sultry gaze down upon her commanding officer.

His eyes widened as he suddenly realized that there might be more uses for the Bajoran ridged nose than he had previously suspected. Grinning, he considered some of those possibilities but decided that this was a topic of discussion that he would save for another time - if ever.

"I aim to please." Then he sat up, and leaned closer to her, sighing into her ear, "You sure that a whisper is safe?"

"Yes," she hissed back. "It's my life too, you know!"

He could tell by her rudeness that the Ro Laren that he knew best had returned. He had always been fond of his insubordinate ensign, not that he ever would admit it out loud to the lady. "And from what our mutual friend said…" For an instant, he could see naked pain in her eyes as she thought about their captain. Then the look was gone.

"What did he say?" Her voice was low, revealing none of her feelings.

"Not much. He is just worried about you. That's why he asked me to join you. To keep you safe." He laughed. "To try to keep you out of trouble."

"And that's it? Nothing else?" she whispered back.

"What else is there, Ro? What haven't I been told about what you're doing here?"

"Nothing else to tell, Raykar."

He chuckled. "I don't recall giving you permission to use my first name. Laren."

One didn't need to be a Betazed to know that this Bajoran was seriously debating how much trouble she'd be in if she retaliated. Deciding to give her a safer target, he rolled over onto his side away from her, presenting his broad shoulders to her.

"Go to sleep," she mumbled.

"Now, why do I have the feeling that first meal will occur at a very early hour?"

Stretching out on her pallet, she reached up to turn down the lighting. And then she decided to answer his question like a good little ensign. She looked down at her superior officer resting on the floor. "Not soon enough for me - Sir."

He made a muffled noise that sounded like a laugh. "Good night, Ro Laren. We will continue some of this discussion later on. So, don't let the bed bugs bite."

For a second, she considered warning him about the Donarian nocturnal insect population - especially the pinching beetles that were prevalent in the compound. Some of these beetles considered the floor to be their exclusive domain. But then she decided that he just might enjoy and/or deserve the pleasure of their company.

About an hour later the silence was broken by a four letter curse word and then another. Before she came to her senses, she found herself being shoved against the plaster wall as Will took over a rather unequal half of the bed. After shaking the blanket, he threw it over both of them. And then he pressed his back against her. "You might have warned me," he cursed and scratched, before he rolled over onto his side.

"Goodnight…" She rolled as far away from him as she could and ordered herself to go back to sleep. Even if it killed her - or before she killed him. She kicked off her side of the blanket. Sleeping next to Will Riker was like sleeping against a roaring furnace. _She was hot… and bothered_…


	3. Chapter 3: Captains and Commanders

_**CHAPTER 3: Captains and Commanders…**_

The engines thrummed as if it were his heartbeat.

The power flowed throughout the decks as if it were his bloodlines.

The occasional sound of an indecipherable word drifting through his closed, ready room doors was heard as if it were his scattered thoughts.

The seated man behind his desk recognized none of these things. Nothing external was registering now, in this darkest of hours. There may have been a part of his brain that acknowledged all of this autonomically, but his conscious mind did not. He hadn't moved in almost an hour.

He couldn't.

His brain was still trying to grasp the fact that Ro Laren had betrayed Starfleet.

That Ro Laren had betrayed _him._

His grip tightened. The shard of crystal that he was absentmindedly clutching pierced his flesh. He did not feel the pain. Or note the blood trickling down his thumb. The droplets landed on his desktop.

_How could he have misjudged her so? How could he have so misjudged the soul of this officer? And how could he have so misjudged his own sense of judgment?_

_He was shaken to the innermost depths of his soul. Not even the Borg or Gul Madred had caused as much turmoil in his mind and heart as had his insubordinate Bajoran. The Borg and the Cardassian situations had been thrust upon him. But Ro Laren - he had chosen her, personally. He had accorded to her the trust he had for all of his senior bridge officers, totally. He had, in fact, trusted her, completely._

His mind still could not completely comprehend the enormity of this fact - this mistake. In fact, not even realizing it, he was now committing the greatest sin that any Starfleet starship captain could make.

_Jean-Luc Picard was doubting himself._

**=/\= =/\= =/\= =/\=**

Guinan was amused by Will's telling of his mission with Ro Laren. "Now, fussing and feuding because of where you were _sleeping_? Now _that_ sounds like Laren. The Bajorans have their prudish side..." Guinan intuitively knew though, that Ro's protests over sleeping arrangements had nothing to do with shared bed space. It had everything to do with whom Ro was sharing that bed.

Something ka-thumped.

Riker's boots slipped off the chair he'd been using as a foot rest.

Guinan ignored his little problem as she watched him sprawl out some more, lifting his legs so that most of his boots were back on the chair pad.

"So…?"

"So, what?"

"Did you become lovers again?" Her gaze was steady as she pinpointed Will Riker. This time he did squirm. _A little_.

He glared at her even as he reached for his glass. He didn't miss. "Ensign Ro and I were _never_ lovers."

"That's not what ship's gossip reported," Guinan remarked as she watched him try not to squirm.

"Ro and I have had sex."

"Several times, or so I heard." She sipped her whiskey. "Is that all? And here, I thought that I'd heard that you actually believed that Laren was your wife. And that you rather liked that idea."

"Don't be an idiot," was Riker's unwise retort. "I never thought that." Guinan raised a hairless eyebrow. "At least, I never thought that after I'd regained all my faculties."

"You did, too. Otherwise why would you be so strongly denying something that clearly your subconscious wants?"

"Hah! What? _Ro Laren? _I've had better lovers."

She glared at him. "Actually, I would have said _wife. _Or, _Imzadi._ Or Ro Laren. Maybe both."

He had the good graces to recognize that he'd overstepped the boundaries of gentlemanly behavior. _Not to mention the truth._ He hadn't really meant what he'd said about Laren. The whiskey was loosening his tongue. He softly stated, "I didn't mean it, Guinan. Laren - she's not Deanna." He finished his drink. "But if I'd never loved Deanna, Laren could have been…" He put down his empty glass. "Guinan this is a very good whiskey, but it's not that good. I won't sit here and let you psychoanalyze me about what happened just in order to drink it. I get enough of psychoanalysis from Deanna." It took him a moment, but he thought of something. "Besides, you weren't even there."

"Are you sure about that? Maybe you forgot."

He glared at her, doing his best imitation of Captain Picard's icy glare. However, when Captain Picard did it, he usually hadn't imbibed more than a couple of ounces of real Canadien whiskey.

Guinan found his attempt to be unsuccessful. But it was amusing. Very amusing.

"So, you and Laren weren't _officially_ lovers. You just happened to share a bed. And we all know how sexless your relationships can be when a beautiful, sensuous woman shares a bed with you, Will Riker."

"We didn't share a bed," he grumbled. "It was a pallet actually. And there were these bloodsucking beetles…"

Her smile was sympathetic. The look in her eye was not.

Will glared at her again. "The bug bites - they itched! A lot!"

Even as she tried to give him another sympathetic smile, she really didn't convince the commander of her sympathies. Guinan was rather enjoying herself, too much.

"And then what happened?"

"We spent the next few days going over the plans to attack the Pakled caravan carrying the retro-viral vaccines."

"And the Donaran Maquis cell accepted you?"

"Oh, yeah. I fit right in." He thought for a moment, and whispered almost to himself, "_Too well_, actually..."

Guinan reached over and poured more whiskey into both of their glasses.

He pick his glass up again, sipped and then continued his musings. "I really didn't even need what Captain Picard had arranged through Admiral Nechayev who then arranged through that shape-shifter on DS9 to create a creditable Bajoran rogue and rebel background for me. When they got around to actually checking my cover, they had already been believing it. They didn't doubt me for a nanosecond."

"I am sure that Ro Laren helped."

For a moment, he closed his eyes remembering just exactly how Laren had helped before he answered Guinan. "Yes, Ro did."


	4. Chapter 4: They Never Got Around to

_**CHAPTER 4 : THEY NEVER GOT AROUND TO ROWING…**_

"_Merde_. You're good."

Riker couldn't help but grin at the way Ro Laren was cursing. He found her choice of French invectitudes to be most interesting. Clearly her hearing was very good. For the man who said _merde_ the most often around both of them, almost always did so under his breath. Never quite aloud. Yet Ro had heard him anyway.

"It's all in the wrist, Laren. All in the wrist."

Ro watched as he flicked his right wrist, ably casting off. A few seconds later his lure was dancing over the sparkling, crystal clear water.

He eyed his partner in espionage. "I didn't know that Bajorans appreciated fly fishing."

Laren grinned in response to his obvious enjoyment over what he was doing. Sitting on the banks of the flowing river, she shadowed her eyes with her hand against the afternoon sun as she studied his fishing techniques. He was thigh-high deep in cold water, fairly close to the riverbank. "We Bajorans are a practical race. We really like to eat. And knowing how to fish is one way of consistently doing that. There still aren't too many replicators on Bajor, you know."

He cast off again. "And here, I was hoping that you would know enough about fly fishing so that you'd bow down in worship in the presence of a great fisherman."

Since there wasn't any polite, politically correct response to that statement that wouldn't eventually end up with her being court-martialed, Ro leaned back onto her elbows and rested on the large, grey boulder by the river's edge. It still retained plenty of warmth from the noon day's sun, and she was enjoying the feel of it. She looked about, studying the rugged trees, tall hillside grass and boulder and stone lined river bank. "You know, if feels like we are on shore leave together, out here."

Riker cast his rod again. "Yes, it sure does. But we can't forget why we are here."

"Wouldn't dream of it." She signed as if she were disappointed with his reminder. Then she contemplated the view toward the valley below where the Maquis compound was located. "Pretty place. Reminds me of one of those mountain resorts in Estes Park." She stretched out her long legs, unwinding, enjoying the unexpected pleasures of this afternoon.

"Estes Park, eh? And here I thought that you'd flunked Aesthetics 101 when you were at the Academy. So, why'd you go to Colorado?"

She ignored the barb, letting it slide. For the first time over the past few days, she was feeling somewhat relaxed. Up here in the mountains, alone with Will, and away from the hot air that was emanating from Santos and the other Maquis who were always making up their battle plans, she was not in the mood to argue with Riker. Or with anyone else for that matter.

"I went to a Galaxy Science Fiction Convention in Denver. Then I took a few days to explore Rocky Mountain National Park. It was one of the best holidays I'd ever had as a cadet."

"Ro, we're living the life that science fiction writers always wrote about." He shook his head. "I never thought that you'd be the type to read SF."

She pitched a pebble in his direction. "Hey, at least it's not Dirk Pitt or James Bond." She grinned, as she remembered some of the 'classics' that she'd found on his cabin shelves .

"I do believe you went snooping when we were _married..." _he observed.

"And you didn't?" She arched an eyebrow as she remembered how he'd chosen a nightie or two from her chest-of-drawers.

He didn't have an answer for that.

"Do you know what you're supposed to be catching?" as she watched him cast off again.

What do you think was in the stew last night? These fish may not be brown speckled trout, but they taste like members of the salmonidae family." He case a sly glance at Ro. "Kissin' cousins as it were…"

Ro sent him a disparaging glare.

Riker continued. "I went fishing with Santos, yesterday. He loaned some of his equipment to me once he realized that I actually knew what I was doing."

She considered this fact for a while. "Not a bad way of proving that you're not a card carrying member of Starfleet. Whoever heard of a Federation officer actually eating a real, live, non-replicated fish?"

Riker didn't respond for a while, not really wishing to delve into those murky ethical waters. For he'd just had a bite on his lure and the battle to land the big fish was on.

Ro watched with admiration for the few minutes that it took for Riker to net the fish and then wade over to put the copper colored fish inside the creel that was nestled by the rocky river bank. It was obvious that he really knew what he was doing - and that he really liked catching fish.

"Where'd you learn how to catch fish like this, Raykar? Survival 102?"

"I grew up in Alaska, Laren. Fly fishing is almost practiced as a religion up there. In fact, I taught the survival fishing courses at the Academy when I was there…"

Ro rolled her eyes at this bit of braggadocio. Though considering the ease with which he dealt with the fish, she decided that it might have some basis in truth.

He reeled up his line and carefully placed his equipment into the wide, flat bottomed row boat that was tied to a rock.

"The creel is full. Feel like going for a ride, Ro?" His gaze held a certain mischievous glint that was all too-familiar to Laren.

"Why do I get the feeling that if I say 'yes', you'll then tell me how much the fare will be?"

His laughter echoed about the banks. "You know me too well, Laren." He plunked himself down on the boulder right next to her. "Help me off with my waders, Ro."

For a second, her temper was threatening to flare up. But then she decided that there was more than one way to filet a fish. He should have been warned by the way her grin changed, as she oh-so-casually replied, "Of course, Raykar. I'd _love_ to help you take off your waders." Kneeling before him, with deft fingers she tackled the buckles and the Velcro, for some designs of practical items had survived centuries, simply because they'd always been the most efficient way to do things.

At first Will thought that it was an accident when her hand had brushed the inside of his thigh. The second time it happened, he finally deduced that it was deliberate; and what her wicked game was. He laid back and rested on his elbows, magnanimously lifting each leg as needed when Ro tugged the waders off. Before she could move away from him, he grabbed her by the front of her shift and pulled her directly on top of him. Since she had started this game, it was only right that she should feel how well she had succeeded; how his body had responded. He rolled her over so that now he was on top of her, and he was rather relishing the feel of her pressing up against him. Ro then surprised him. She didn't struggle. Instead, she snaked her arms about his neck, and whispered into his neck, "We're being watched."

"I know. Let's give them something to watch."

She bit his ear, not quite sure how far she should go. She then whispered, "And isn't it time for us to contact our mutual friend?"

"Yes." For a moment, his smile disappeared. "You've been asking for this," he warned, quietly under his breath. He kissed her. He wasn't that surprised when she matched his passion. For a moment, he even forgot that they were being observed. And then he moved off of her and reached for his waders.

It took her a moment to regroup her thoughts as she suddenly felt so alone. _His kiss could still make her dizzy,_ she thought in self-disgust.

She looked at the boots. And then stared back at him in disbelief. "You're kidding."

His grin was amiable as if passion-filled kisses had not just happened between them. "Tried and true covered with muck is usually pretty effective."

"You really stored it _there?" _Her eyes still stared at the waders.

He laughed as he leaned over and whispered, "The transmitter is actually inside of the bottom fish in the creel." His grin grew even bigger as he watched her struggle to control her sudden flare of temper. "Thanks for taking my boots off."

"You! _You_…" She stood straight up and shook her fist at him as if she were searching for the exact right, mutinous words to say. She glanced about for an appropriate object to throw.

"Wonderful man?" he suggested. "Number One kissin' cousin?" Suddenly he paused, tensing. And though he was still smiling, the laughter disappeared from his eyes. "Blue-eyed devil of a darling?"

"More like a seven night wonder…," she loudly called out before she stepped away from him.

"They were _wonderful…," _he calmly answered. He stood, picked up the waders, and then nodded in the direction of the dory boat. He tossed the boots into the boat, picked up his rod, unhooked the creel from the rock in the stream, and then stored the rod against the inside hull and locked the creel to an outside chain on the transom so that it would be dragged beside them in the water when he rowed.

Then he did something that Ro did not expect. He peeled off his shirt and stepped into the shallow water, walking over to the dory. "Come on, Ro." With that he unbuttoned his pants, leaning against the rub rail for support as he slipped off his pants and then tossed both items of clothing into the bow. Knowing that she was still standing on the boulder, flummoxed, he threw one of his patented grins in her direction, and then dove into the water swimming about four meters from the boat.

"I suppose I should be grateful that he's wearing boxers," she grumbled under her breath as she slipped out of her shirt and jeans, tossing them and her shoes on top of Riker's clothing. Then she walked into the shallows letting Will look his fill at her. For now she was flummoxing him. She was wearing some of the sexiest underwear that she owned. Both the bra and her miniscule panties were scarlet lace. From the expression on Will Riker's face, she gathered that he rather liked the way that she looked. _And part of her soul reveled in this knowledge, welcoming it._

But what really surprised Will was the way that she swam over to him. Ro did not dogpaddle. Instead, her movements were crisp and clean expressions of power and expertise. She knew why he had that look on his face when she finally reached him. "I've been on a few swim teams in my lifetime," she explained as she stood up next to Riker in the chest high water. "In the camps, swimming in the lake was one of the few pleasures that I had as a child. And since we all know how well the Cardassians love water, swimming in the lake was one of the safest places for a young girl to be."

"Oh, Ro…"

The sympathy in his eyes was her undoing. He lifted her up by the waist. She automatically placed her arms about his neck, relishing the feel of the strength of his shoulders; and how she felt in his arms.

His kiss was gentle. Inquiring. Almost delicate. She melted. She felt his fingers unhooking her bra, but didn't quite realize all that he'd done until he waded up both her red lace bra and panties hooking them together, and then accurately tossed them into the dory.

His answering grin to her surprised expression held no hint of apology as he gazed down at what he'd just uncovered.

Telling herself that it was the almost-cold water that was causing her nipples to harden, she surprised even herself as she didn't try to break away from his embrace. Instead, she almost relished his perusal.

"Oh, Ro…," he signed again as he bent his head to kiss her breasts. No amount of cold water could douse the conflagration that he was igniting in her body.

Suddenly he picked her up in his arms and carried her over to the boat, placing her on the widest of the thwarts so that she was situated on the crosswise seat with her legs dangling over the edge.

"What," she gasped as she didn't quite grasp what he was doing.

"I must be losing my touch," he grumbled to himself, lift up one leg as he began a lingual exploration of her toes. By the time he reached the back of her knee, she was pleading to the prophets - loudly. And then he demonstrated how he thought Bajoran lovers used the ridges of their noses. Her screams of pleasure echoed about the banks. Several times. When she was gasping for breath he climbed into the dory and spread two of the blankets he'd brought against the planking. Sliding her down, he covered her body with his own, and kissed her. Then she kissed him back. It was the kind of passion-filled kiss that had nothing to do with the charade they were supposed performing for their unknown spy. Pure, naked desire blazed between them. And he made love to her. And she loved him back. They'd long forgotten about play acting.

When finally their cries chorused together, he rolled next to her as they both stared straight up into the pure blue of the sky. "Think Santos is gone?" Ro gasped as she tried to control her reactions to the way his fingers were still touching her.

It took him a moment to respond as if he had to marshal his thoughts before answering. "You heard him sneak up on us?"

She turned her head, tacitly offering him better access to her neck. "No. I smelled the Denebian spice leaves. And since Santos is the only one who smokes that stuff in the compound…"

"Right."

She felt him move as the boat rocked again. He was crushing her breasts against his bare chest. She let her fingers do some more exploring of his body. _Once was obviously not enough for him either._

She tensed. _"Raykar, do you think he has suspicions, or was he just checking up on us?"_

"What I think is that he was coming for the fish. And he saw that we were occupied." He grinned as he watched her blush.

"Either way, it's a good thing that we put on this act for him."

"An _act_? Is that all this is? Is that what you'd call it, Laren?"

She trailed her fingers down to his groin. "I think that we should continue '_acting_' just in case Santos comes back."

He raised his head to look at the position of the descending sun. "I'd say that we have an hour before I have to get around to cleaning the fish for dinner. Whatever shall we do?"

"What I think we're going to continue doing tonight and every night from now on." She pulled him down against her body and kissed him.

Once again, she'd surprised him.


	5. Chapter 5: Still Gone Fishin'

_**CHAPTER 5 : Still Gone Fishin'**_

His tea tasted bitter tonight. He was not surprised. But he sipped it again as if to make sure. Or, perhaps he just needed something with warmth entering into his body. For his veins felt as if the cold of space flowed through them.

His body ached as if he'd been pummeled by a dozen Klingons though no one had laid a hand on him. The physical impact of Ro's betrayal was manifesting itself. With aching head, the captain of the _Enterprise,_ acknowledged this to himself. Even though he recognized what was happening, that he was close to going into shock, he did nothing to prevent it. _No summoning of a doctor from Sickbay. No self-administered analgesic. No triple shot of Aldebaran whiskey_. He did nothing to prevent the pain from occurring; almost as if he felt that he deserved this pain as punishment for what he had done. _For what he had forced Ro to do…_

His hand trembled as he placed his half-empty mug of tea on his desk.

_What had he done?_

He had cursed Ro with the devil's choice he had forced upon her. She'd had two choices. The first was to follow his orders which meant that she would have had to betray her conscience. The other was to follow her conscience which ended up dishonoring her captain. He had coerced her into making a decision…

_What had he done?_

There was nothing to comfort him in the darkness of his ready room. There was nothing to soothe his fevered brain or apply a balm to his broken heart. Or to quiet the insidious, dangerous belief that _Ro had been in the right of it._ His dishonor was the end result of his personally supporting the so-called Cardassian - Federation Peace agreement.

_What had he done?_

He stood, shaking off his indecision. He knew what he should do as a man of honor. Pacing about his room, he now tried to reconcile his conscience with that of the duty owed to Starfleet. Though he had often questioned Starfleet's decisions in the past, until this very moment, he'd never actually questioned Starfleet's actual motives.

_What was he going to do?_

**=/\= =/\= =/\= =/\=**

Riker whistled as he stood knee deep in water, by the river bank, cleaning the fish. He expertly scaled and filleted each one.

Ordinarily, Ro would be annoyed by his whistling. Instead, she just accepted his cheery tuneless noisemaking as part of this stolen afternoon where they both had escaped from everything. _The Maquis. Starfleet. Themselves. _It felt wonderful. It felt like they were playing hooky.

She floated about the small cove where Riker had anchored the dory. The shallower, crystal clear water was warmer here, far from the rushing water. She paddled every now and then, or dove to see what she could discover on the bottom. Her collection of pretty rocks was growing by the river's edge.

"Here!"

Ro lifted her head as she observed Riker waving his hand, calling out to someone in the distance. She could see Santos running toward them.

Turning to Ro, Riker stopped her with a hand sign from coming any closer to the bank. Of course, he could have just been behaving like a gentleman since Ro hadn't bothered to put on any clothes. Riker had put on his boxers since he didn't feel like cleaning fish in the nude.

But Laren knew there was a reason behind his actions. So she dogpaddled with only her head showing above water.

"Hey, Will. Looks like you caught a lot," Santos remarked, eyeing what he could see of Ro.

"I'm just one lucky man," Will cheekily responded as he handed Santos the large creel filled with fish. "I'm even a good fisherman, too."

"I'll say you are," Santos agreed, barely looking at the filets. He eyes were still focused on Laren.

Riker's grin turned naughty. He held up one large fish. "I'm keeping this one. Ro's never had my barbecued fish. I'm going to fix it for her." He glanced at a knapsack in the dory. "I brought everything I need."

"That you did, Kel," Santos readily agreed, still eyeing Laren. "Be back in the encampment before moon set. The sentries tend to get jumpy when it's black out."

"Oh, we'll be back when we finish eating," Raykar readily agreed.

"No need to rush." Santos knowingly grinned. "I know how small our pallets are - not to mention all about the thin walls, too. She's a loud one, that one." He picked up the creel, and shouldered it. "I'll let the guards know that you're coming - eventually."

"Thanks." Will watched the man jog away, before he turned and dove into the water to join Ro. "I'm going to set up a campfire and fix dinner. While it's cooking, we'll contact our mutual friend."

"You planned all this," Ro accused.

"Well, not all of it. Though I had hopes - high hopes as it were." He chuckled.

_Was he laughing at her or with her_? For once, Ro didn't care. She'd enjoyed herself so far. And now there was the evening alone, ahead of them, after they'd contacted the _Enterprise._

A while later, after they'd finished their Starfleet business, Ro sat cross-legged by a small campfire. She was wearing one of Riker's flannel shirts which was about five sizes too large for her. Riker had donned a shirt too. They both were enjoying the quiet, the fire, and the fish. "I think of myself as a pretty good basic cook, but this fish is delicious." She finished off the last of the biscuits.

"Thank you, Laren."

After they finished eating, they cleaned up in perfect harmony with each other. Ro could barely recall another time like this in her life. Riker was good company when he wasn't trying to boss her around.

"Are you going to tell about your secret ingredients for the fish?" She could see his teeth gleaming in the firelight.

"Old Riker family secret. I always carry those herbs with me whenever I go on a mission." His smile broadened as he looked Laren over. He appreciated everything about her, in spite of her uncombed hair, and her touchy temper. If one had to go on a mission, Laren was a fine companion to have.

She laughed. "I'll get this recipe out of you - one way or the other."

He joined in with her laughter. It was if he were truly reluctant to end their adventure. Therefore he was not that surprised when Laren reclined on top of the blankets that he'd spread out earlier. She didn't want to end this interlude either.

"It's barely moonrise." She patted the open space next to her body. "We've got plenty of time."

This was not an invitation that he was going to refuse. "There's just us, you know. Nobody spying. Prying…"

"Shut up and kiss me," Ro ordered. In his arms, she raised her head and licked the lowest ridge across his nose. She could tell that she'd surprised him once again. And that he liked it. "Why don't you just admit it…," she softly ordered.

"Admit what?" He nestled her against him. He could feel his body responding to her presence. And lack of clothing.

She licked a higher crease, counted the ridges with the tip of her tongue and then pulled back to look at him in the moonlight. Eternal feminine instincts glinted in her eyes as she felt his answer. "You're just dieing to find out, aren't you?"

"Why, Ro Laren. What are you offering to show me?"

"You'll be surprised…"

His grin grew into a promising smile; warm, pleased, delighted. "As a Starfleet officer, I am always in search of additional enlightenment," he softly stated.

She swatted him before she cupped his ears, lightly rubbing them with her thumbs, slowly marking the bumps, the creases - all the sensitive parts with her nails. "You just want a furthering of your education? That's all?"

His smile grew. "Oh, I think we won't both be satisfied unless we both get a lot more than a mere furthering, Laren. Now…what can I do to help you along? I always aim to please. And I do a good job, even if I say so myself."

"Braggart," she whispered against his touch as he began to remove her shirt.

"I think that you'll find that I am an apt pupil, open to new experiences, Laren. You didn't forget, did you?"

"Oh, I do remember…" was the last coherent thing that she said to him. She slowly unbuttoned his shirt, placing little kisses down his chest. When she reached his bellybutton, she began to show him what her Bajoran ridged nose could do to a man.

His last rational thought was _heaven…_

An hour later as the moon was descending, they walked down the path toward the compound in silence. Ro didn't quite know what to say to Riker at this moment though she suspected that he had a full repertoire of appropriate albeit glib, well-practiced sweet nothings. She decide to break their silence. "It was a mistake," she announced to her commander's back as he led the way down the trail. She tried to swat him.

He sprang to the left as if he were expecting an attack on his ass.

Ro stumbled.

"For someone with advanced tactical training, you're becoming too predictable," he declared as he increased the distance between them by two paces.

"Just you wait," she muttered.

"What about your earlier promises?"

She grinned, even though he knew he couldn't quite see her expression. "Oh, that was just heat of the moment talk. You know what your kisses do to me."

"We'll see about that," Will responded, realizing that Ro was actually teasing him. With a light heart, he took her hand as they walked toward the compound.

When they reached the compound, Riker quickly disappeared into the kitchen when he saw Kalita corner Ro in the main courtyard.

"Have fun?" Kalita not-too-politely asked as she sat down on a corner bench by a tree, and crossed her legs, motioning for Ro to join her.

"That's not what I'd call it," Ro darkly answered as she sat on the edge of the metal bench.

"Santos and I went looking for you…," Kalita continued.

Every bit of Ro's advanced tactical training came into play as she maintained her casual façade in spite of her fear that there had been two people spying on them. She wondered how close they'd been to being discovered.

"You should have found us. I would have enjoyed the company. All Kel did was brag about the fish that he was catching, the fish that he'd caught, and how he will cook the fish that he was catching…"

"Liar." Kalita cackled. "From what I saw, he'd landed a big one - a time or two." She arched an eyebrow as she considered Ro's words. "Ro, are you proposing something wicked?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Santos wouldn't let me climb down from the hillside path and intrude. He made me leave right away."

"I suppose I should thank him for his discretion."

"But if you would care to ask us to join you the next time Raykar wants fresh shoana fish for a meal…"

Ro faced Kalita squarely, deciding that it was in her best interest to put Kalita in her place. "If Raykar wants you to join him on a fishing expedition - real or fictional - then he's the one who'll have to do the asking. However, if he is ever foolish enough to do so when I am around…"

Kalita laughed again. "I'd rather not find out about all of the nasty tricks that you learned from surviving in a Cardassian camp, Laren."

"Kalita, I wouldn't hurt you - too much. No man is worth that much trouble. But as for Kel…"

Kalita chuckled at this thought. She eyed Ro, detecting some reddening from the sun - or something. "I bet that both of you have got some bug bites in interesting places."

Ro deliberately scratched the inside of her right thigh. "I'll have to get a lotion from the infirmary."

Kalita sighed. "You don't know how lucky you are, Ro Laren. Most of the men around here are either only interested in being the biggest, baddest macho Maquis in the cell, are married and are not willing to twiddle around, or aren't interested in humanoid females in the slightest, other than as 'friends'."

Ro nodded in sympathetic understanding, remembering her own feast-or-famine past. "Tell me about it. I've been there myself more than once." She stood, taking a step toward the stairway leading down to the kitchen. "I'd better go rescue the cook, otherwise Kel will tell her how he caught every fish, scale by scale."

Kalita stopped her. Her attitude seemed serious. "Ro. Tomorrow night, when we go after the convoy, it's been decided that you and Kel will pilot the point ship. Use the ship you used before. You'll be Alpha Seven. I'll be Alpha Nine. There'll be a complete briefing at twenty hundred hours tomorrow. Until then, get some rest. Or have some fun. Whatever. Your cousin does look like the inexhaustible sort…"

"Kalita," Lauren laughed. "He most certainly is. But don't tell him that I told you so. He's got a swelled enough head as it is…"

"You two go back a long way, don't you, Laren?"

"Yes, we do. Sometimes it seems like too long a way. I don't hear from him for light years - not even a subspace message, and then he camps out at my doorstep. Once, completely out of the starlight, he breaks me out of jail. I never know whether or not to kiss him or kill him."

"I know what I'd do…," Kalita remarked as she walked away, "…and it wouldn't be to let him get any rest…"

Wondering where Riker really was, Ro checked the kitchen then stomped back to her quarters, wanting nothing more than a quick shower and to get some rest. Riker was sitting on the edge of the pallet when she got there. Her senses jumped as she smelled his fresh and spicy scent. He'd obviously cleaned up from their fishing expedition. And he seemed ready for anything.

Forcing herself to be stern, she glared at him. "I thought that you thought that this afternoon was a mistake."

"Those were your words, Laren."

"No, that's what you said. I didn't agree."

"Well, since I never disagree with a lady…"

"You think I'm a lady?"

"Always, Laren. Always have been."

She trembled, trying not to make more out of his words beyond commonplace repartee. "I can think of a few occasions when you didn't."

"Only a few?"

She took off her shirt, ignoring this remark. "I'm going to go get cleaned up now."

"Want some help in washing your back?"

She threw his flannel shirt back at him.

"I'll take that as a 'no'," he stated to himself, hearing Ro shut the water cubicle door firmly behind her.

Thirty minutes later, dressed only in a long-tailed lavender tunic and flip flop sandals, she came out and looked about the room. Riker had left only one wall sconce lit. Otherwise, the room was dark.

Riker was over on his side of the pallet, against the wall. From the steadiness of his breath, Ro decided that he was sleeping. She didn't know whether or not to be insulted or relieved. Crawling into bed, Ro reclined on her side as well, back to back, next to him. The pallet wasn't too wide, but the two of them could share it if they were careful. She certainly had shared beds under far worse circumstances.

Later than night, she debated whether or not she'd really be better off sleeping on the floor. She was sweating. She'd kicked off their cover an hour ago. He hadn't noticed.

The man was too warm. Too hot. Too big. Too strong. Too damned sexy. And far too damned good a lover for her peace of mind. Peace of mind was the one thing that she did not have this night. Being next to him was just one more complication upon complication in her overly complicated life.

Tomorrow she would have to betray someone. And in her heart-of-hearts, she didn't know which side she was going to choose. Her indecision was gnawing her soul into little pieces. She wished that she didn't have a conscience. She wished that she'd never heard of the Maquis. And she devoutly wished that her yearning for Captain Picard's respect had not intimidated her into agreeing to this dreadful mission in the first place. She had known that this assignment had been a rotten idea from the very first moment that she'd heard of it. And now, one way or the other, she was going to have to pay too high a price for her failure to tell Captain Jean-Luc Picard the truth in the beginning.

"Who was Macias?"

His quiet voice shattered what was left of her composure.

"What?"

Riker rolled over onto is back, almost forcing her closer to the edge of the mattress. She tried not to relinquish her territory. But didn't succeed.

"What was Macias to you?"

"He was a friend… He was also the leader of this cell before some Cardassian paid mercenaries killed him."

"Security here, was that lax?"

"Not any more. I gave Santos hell for not ordering that every person trying to gain access to the compound should be checked. That's when he changed the security procedures."

"Ro, it wasn't your place to do so."

"I had to convince them who I was, Raykar. They knew I was ex-Starfleet. If I hadn't tried to solve their problems, I would have been suspect."

"Well, you certainly succeeded in gaining their trust. In fact…," He didn't finish his sentence, as if he really didn't want to actually give voice to his mounting suspicions.

The tensions within her heart grew. Somehow she suspected that Riker knew every single one of her doubts. And that maybe, he even had a few of those doubts himself.

"Macias was kind to me. He reminded me of the grandfather that I would have liked to have had. He preferred his hasperat spicy, and his balaklavia in tune. I hated the fact that he had to die for no good reason."

"On that, we agree, Laren."

"Now what?"

"What about tomorrow, Ro? Are we agreed upon how we'll proceed?" He didn't say anything more, but he now fathomed why Captain Picard had sent him on this mission to keep an eye on Ro.

Her voice was brittle as she answered his question. "I will do my best, Sir. I always do."

Riker turned to face her trying to show her that he did care. His topaz blue eyes were filled with sincere concern. "That's all any of us could ask, Laren." He reached over and brushed this thumb across her upper lip. It was a casual gesture but like quicksilver, the atmosphere between them altered. "One of these days you're going to have to confess to me what really happened on Garon."

"No one believed me then. Why would you, now?"

His hand slid down slowly, to caress her neck, her shoulder, her arm.

"I believe in you, Ro Laren. And our good friend believes in you too. If there is one thing that I've learned about you - you always do the right thing, no matter what the personal cost is to you."

"No matter the cost…," she mumbled under her breath before she instinctively shifted closer to Riker's touch. His hand was drifting over the swell of her left breast. "I suppose that we should get some rest."

"You've been tossing and turning, Laren. If you really desire _only_ to sleep, I'll take the floor again. Bugs and all. That's the only way either one of us will know any peace tonight."

"There's more than one way of getting some peace," she suggested before she captured his roving hand to bring it back to her lips. "I can't sleep - next to you," she explained, before she nipped the fleshy part of his thumb.

"Neither can I _sleep_ - next to you," was his answer as he responded to her invitation.

She reached over and touched his chest, sliding her hand under his rough-woven shirt, to caress him. In spite of his casual attitude, he trembled as she stroked down to his hip. Satisfied with this reaction, she smiled to herself. She wanted to think no more this night. And Riker was willing to oblige.

"Are you sure that this is what you want, Laren?"

"You always talk too much," was her answer as she removed his clothes. "Sir."


	6. Chapter 6: The Green Stuff

_**AN: Well, here it is, the final chapter. I may return to this story, since I am rather fond of Ro Laren, some day in the future. For all of the kind reviews, I thank you.**_

_**CHAPTER 6: The Green Stuff**_

"It's been a long time since I felt like I belonged somewhere…" His voice trailed off as he finished telling Guinan his story. "That's what Laren told me, right before she asked me to convey her apologies to the captain. Her only explanation as to why…" He contemplated Ro Laren's words to him as he was still trying to understand how she could betray Starfleet. _And betray Captain Jean-Luc Picard…_

He closed his eyes for a moment, remembering the events of the day. How she'd awakened him in the early hours to make such passionate love with him. She had seemed desperate. That was when he knew for sure what her decision would be. _And how he'd done nothing to change her mind. Or stop her…_

Guinan's voice brought him back to Ten Forward.

"I thought that's why she'd done it," Guinan observed as she finished off the dregs of the bottle. "It makes sense in a Ro sort of way. Did she say anything else?"

"Nothing of importance before she pointed her phaser at me. We didn't exchange too many intimate confidences after that."

Guinan eyed him, speculating about many things. "You knew what she was going to do though, didn't you?"

Will ignored this accusation from Guinan, not wanting to lend any credence to her mounting suspicions. "If I had known for sure, I would have stopped her."

"Would you have?" Guinan whispered to the stars since she knew that Riker wouldn't give voice to an answer for that question.

"I still can't believe that Ro did it. She'll be branded a traitor for the rest of her life."

"Do you really think that Ro Laren is a traitor, Will Riker?"

He deliberately ignored this question too.

She offered Will one of her better inscrutable smiles. She had a sneaking suspicion that there would come a time when Ro Laren would wear a Starfleet uniform again - though not in the near future. "You don't," she pronounced. She didn't disguise the satisfaction that she felt upon arriving at this conclusion.

"I didn't say that."

"You didn't have to. I know your soul, Will Riker."

"I don't think so."

Guinan softly laughed. "Always have. Always will, Will Riker. You should know that by now. It's one of the reasons why the captain keeps me around. I like to shake things up." She watched Riker drink some more. "But you know what's really important?" He shook his head, not trusting his tongue to provide an intelligent response. "Ro Laren didn't betray Ro Laren. And that's what counts in the celestial scheme of things."

"She betrayed Captain Picard instead," he shot back. He drained the last of his whiskey and put his tumbler down onto the table, with a thunk. "And that's something I won't forgive."

"You will when Captain Picard forgives her."

"He won't."

"He will. Jean-Luc is the reason as to why Ro Laren got into this mess in the first place. Our captain knows that he made a major mistake in the way that he handled Ro Laren in this situation." She folded her arms, her brown cuffs fluttering, and studied Riker some more, trying to decide if he was capable of making it back to his quarters without her assistance. "Ro Laren is the one who'll have to pay the price for his mistake. Picard should have never put Laren into the middle of an ethical dilemma that was created by bureaucrats and the doddering idiots of the Admiralty. Eventually, Jean-Luc will even get around to admitting his mistake out loud - or at least, writing of his conclusion in an official report or two."

"You sound like your sympathies lie with the Maquis, Guinan."

"They do. I like the Maquis, Will. I will always champion the rights of a people over the rights of useless bureaucratic functionaries who serve every master except the people who voted for them. You're forgetting where I came from, Will…"

"You know, you've never told me that whole story, Guinan."

The El Aurelian merely nodded. "Oh, well one day I will then, when you're a captain too…"

"Huh?" Will wasn't quite grasping the point that Guinan was implying at this juncture of their night. His head wasn't all too clear at the moment.

"Whether you'll admit it or not, you know that the Federation bungled the negotiations with the Cardassians from the get-go. The politicians forgot about what they were doing to the little people who actually live in the Zone. The Maquis is a justified response." She eyed him. "And don't tell me that you don't sort of agree with some of what I've said."

"Guinan…" He stood as if he wanted to declare something more. But the alcohol that he'd been imbibing hit him full force, like a soliton wave. His knees wobbled as he sat back down. He forgot what it was that he was going to say.

She observed his condition, and sighed. "You Humans never could hold your liquor worth a damn. Unlike my uncle Terkim…" She sighed again. "Not even Jean-Luc could…" She shook her head as she eyed the soused commander. "Give me a drunken Vulcan any day for that's when their logic arguments really get interesting…" She picked up Riker's left arm and tried to tug the First Officer of the _Enterprise _to his feet. He teetered. "Time to say goodnight, my friend." She pressed the hypospray into Will's forearm. He stumbled. She sighed. And then she shoved him back down into his chair. She leaned over and bapped his comm badge. "Guinan to Mr. Data."

"Yes, Guinan?" was the android's polite, immediate response.

"Are you anywhere near a transporter pad?"

"Yes, Guinan. I am in the corridor by transporter room three. Do you need some assistance?"

"Can you beam Commander Riker to his quarters on the q.t.?"

It took Data a few seconds to respond to her request. "I am inside the transporter room, alone, as you requested. Is Commander Riker ill?"

"He's asleep in Ten Forward, Data. And I don't wish to awaken him. Or cause unnecessary gossip. He's had a couple of brutal days… and nights…"

"Understood, Guinan. I will beam Commander Riker to his bed."

She ruffled Will's hair before she stepped aside. "Go to bed, Will Riker. And for a change - alone. And this time, get some sleep," was her parting observation as she watched him sparkle away. "And maybe, one of these decades, I'll tell you the absolute truth about how I remember meeting Jean-Luc Picard and why he's in my eternal debt. Just like you will be one day…"

With a sigh, she walked behind her bar, deposited the glasses and her tote bag in a cubbyhole, and picked up a bottle of the green stuff - Aldebaran whiskey.

"I think that Jean-Luc should just about be ready for me now…"

In his ready room, the captain of the _Enterprise_ poured himself a second dose of green medicine. But he didn't touch it. He would permit himself this indulgence later. Right now, he still had to read and analyze Will Riker's report. And then he had to write his own formal report.

As he read Will's report one more time, he began to realize how skillfully Will had written his formal report. And it was a written report that was a masterpiece of intimation. Part of Picard admired Riker's subtle condemnation of the admiralty even as his XO described in sparsely chosen words the events of his mission. Will was trying to exonerate Ro Laren in spite of how her own actions had damned her.

Picard carefully considered what he had to do. Will had already filed his report, which meant that what the captain wrote would have to shift the blame and the suspicions for the failed mission off the shoulders of his First Officer and former pilot, and onto his own, where such condemnation really belonged. And so he wrote. And did what his honor dictated.

An hour later, he reached for his whiskey.

"Put it down, Johnny boy."

Startled, he looked up from his desk to observe the ship's barkeep standing in his ready room doorway. She hadn't buzzed. And yet somehow, she had entered his ready room, unnoticed. She correctly interpreted the annoyed look that he glared at her. "And if you think I'm ever going to tell you how I just did what I did…"

He sighed, knowing that she was a lady who was rarely inclined to reveal her mysteries, in spite of how they bedeviled him.

"Guinan. I am not in the mood."

"I know. That's why I'm here." She glanced about the darkened ready room lit only by his desk light and the light from Livingston's aquarium. And then studied the face of her friend. He looked overwhelmingly exhausted. And broken-hearted.

He wearily sighed, flinching under her inspection. "Guinan…"

"I'm not here to harangue you, Jean-Luc. From the looks of things, you've already done a pretty good job of flagellating yourself. I'm just here to offer you some perspective."

He considered her words for a moment, before he whispered, "_Perspective_?"

She nodded. "Ro did what she had to do. You've done what you must do." She plopped down on the chair in front of his desk. "And I'm the one left to pick up the pieces…"

"Guinan, I do not need your assistance."

"I agree. You don't _need_ me hanging around. You just simply _like_ me hanging around."

In spite of himself, Jean-Luc let a glimmer of a smile cross his lips. "That I do, Madam. That I do."

"You finished?" She nodded her head at his terminal.

"Yes." He glanced over at his now shut down terminal. Only the Starfleet logo was on the screen at the moment. "_The die is cast…"_

"It will turn out all right, Jean-Luc. Laren is a survivor." She raised an eyebrow. "So are you." She studied him again for a moment, before she added, "You'll be friends again, one day."

"Perhaps." He stood and then watched his friend drink his drink. "But I will never _trust_ Ro Laren again, Guinan."

"Didn't say that you had to do that, Jean-Luc." She lifted up the bottle she'd been holding since she'd entered the room. "I've brought the really good stuff. So put your bottle away, and let us retire to your quarters."

"Guinan…, I, uh…"

"You need a friend tonight, Jean-Luc. Not a lover." She held out her hand to him. He took it. "So come, leave the Gamma shift to the peace and relaxation of knowing that the captain is _not_ on the bridge. Let Mr. Data be in command for a while."

"Will's off duty?"

"It's a good thing he is," she knowingly grinned.

Jean-Luc glanced at the stars. "Then I cannot…"

"Stuff it, Jean-Luc." On his glare, she added, "Oh, all right. I won't let you get drunk tonight, Jean-Luc."

"How magnanimous of you."

"Actually, it is. I was in the mood for going on a real toot."

"Guinan, maybe this time, I'll be the one to put you to bed - in your quarters."

She laughed at this. "Perhaps we'd better go to my place, then. In my quarters we won't be interrupted. Only Mr. Data will know where you are."

"I haven't told Mr. Data…"

"Jean-Luc, Mr. Data will always know where you are when you're on board this ship."

He nodded, accepting the truth of her words. He glanced down at his desk. "Go along, Guinan." He smiled as he jerked his head in the direction of the ready room door. "I'll be coming along, shortly. There's just one more thing that I must do."

Her gaze narrowed as she considered the man and his mood. She abruptly stood and announced, "I'll be waiting." She waggled her bottle of green stuff in front of his face. "Trust me, you don't want to miss this." And then she turned and silently disappeared through the doorway.

Picard idly wondered if anyone on the bridge, other that Mr. Data, would even notice her presence. _Guinan did have a way about her…If she didn't want to be noticed, she wasn't._

Then he sat down at his terminal, and finished fulfilling his honor's duty. He owed his former officer this much at least. He typed out a short message that he sent to the last known contact for Ro Laren.

"_I understand. J."_

And then he left to go to Guinan's quarters.

**=/\= =/\= =/\= =/\=**

The moon glide was beautiful tonight. Her soul needed to watch the beautiful scene as moon beams danced across the flowing river. It was peaceful here - the place where she had loved Riker for too short a time. She rested against part of the big rock that had once sheltered them. And thought about the lover that she had lost. And the man that she had betrayed.

She sobbed some more. And then permitted the peace of this place to finally flow over her. After a while, she leaned back and watched the stars. The tears had dried on Ro Laren's cheeks. She rubbed them.

And then she contemplated Captain Picard's message. She knew that he hadn't forgiven her. That would have been too much to expect. But at least, she now knew that he understood her. And that he'd thought well enough of her and had been kind enough to at least grant her his peace.

She would forever owe Captain Picard.

And be loyal to him.

_In her own way._


End file.
